IRVINE : City Considers Fire Protection District

The City Council tonight will consider forming a fire protection district along with 15 other cities that now receive services from the county.

City officials said the new district would give Irvine more local control in setting fire department policy and formulating long-term goals.

Irvine is the largest city to receive services from the Orange County Fire Department.

Under the proposal, the special district would take over Irvine’s five county fire stations as well as all personnel and equipment, said Larry Larsen, executive assistant to the city manager.

A major advantage to the plan is that it would transfer oversight of fire services from the County Board of Supervisors to a special board made up of officials from the various cities within the district, Larsen said.

“This gives the city much more of a voice in making decisions,” he said.

At least in the short-term, residents probably would not notice much of a change in service, Larsen said. Having a district board in place would make it easier for residents to have a say in how the fire department is run, he said.

All 16 city councils, as well as the Local Agency Formation Commission and the state Legislature, must give their approval to the plan before the district can be formed.